


The Truth I Can't Explain (Smoke and Mirrors)

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Liam Payne, Blood, Blood Mage Harry Styles, Blood Mages, Feuds, He's just the alpha of the werewolf pack, I don't think it's too graphic though, M/M, Magic, Mute Harry, No Smut, Slave Harry Styles, Slavery, Telepathy, Werewolf Louis Tomlinson, Werewolves, not really a/b/o/, please be good to yourself, rating is for subject matter, some violence, stay safe, there are a lot of mentions of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-01-25 20:00:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21361867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: Louis Tomlinson scans the horizon. It’s dark, but his werewolf eyes are equipped for that. He sees clearly in the inky black of the forest around them. He and every other wolf can see the moment the first blood mage crosses the boundary into their compound. The mages must think they’ve disabled the wards on the edges of the boundary but the wolves did that themselves when they found out the mages were coming. Louis’ pack has opened the door and put down the welcome mat. It’s up to the mages whether that mat becomes stained in blood.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 200
Collections: FOUR





	The Truth I Can't Explain (Smoke and Mirrors)

**Author's Note:**

> Special thank you to my beta Lynda who read over all of this at the last minute. And to Sus for keeping me motivated.  
Also, thank you to Kk for running this thing and being so patient with me. 
> 
> I do not know latin. Here’s hoping I didn’t screw it up too badly but if I did, let’s blame google translate. ;)
> 
> Title is from the song Illusion that this fic is based on.

They stand at attention, each one wearing the expression of the battle-weary, eyes ever-vigilant. The enemy is coming. And the Payne pack is going to meet them head-on. 

They’ve known that the blood mages were in their territory for days. They know they’re on the compound now, and planning an attack tonight. But the blood mages don’t know that the Payne pack is on to them. And so the pack stands. Ready to fight if need be. Ready to finally rid themselves of the threat on their lands.

Louis Tomlinson scans the horizon. It’s dark, but his werewolf eyes are equipped for that. He sees clearly in the inky black of the forest around them. He, and every other wolf, can see the moment the first blood mage crosses the boundary into their compound. The mages must think they’ve disabled the wards on the edges of the boundary but the wolves did that themselves when they found out the mages were coming. Louis’ pack has opened the door and put down the welcome mat. It’s up to the mages whether that mat becomes stained in blood. The wolves will offer peace so long as the mages promise to leave their territory and never come back. The last thing Louis’ pack needs is more bloodshed. They’ve seen enough blood to last a lifetime. 

The blood mages sneak about in the dark, setting magical traps behind them, presumably so that no wolves escape their planned slaughter. Louis already has a bad feeling in his gut. Luckily, he’s not the man in charge. That burden falls on Liam’s shoulders as the pack Alpha. And it’s times like this, times when Louis is certain that things are not going to go at all according to plan, that Louis is grateful he doesn’t have that many lives on his shoulders. He both pities and envies Liam in equal measures depending on the day. Today, pity is winning out. And so, because he cannot run and he cannot attack, Louis obeys orders and holds the line. 

When the first of the mages breaks through the trees and into the clearing, he freezes at the sight of thirty-plus werewolves staring him down. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t dare. Instead, he stares back and, even if Louis didn’t have night vision, even if he could only see by the sallow light of the crescent moon as the mages do, he’s absolutely positive that the fear in the mage’s eyes would be clear as day. The mage doesn’t speak, doesn’t cry out to warn the others of his cabal. He just… stands there, his fear permeating the clearing so strongly that Louis has to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose at the acrid smell. 

Several more mages appear, breaking out past the tree line, some of them more vocal and warning the others of the pack of werewolves waiting to greet them. Eventually, all movements stop. The mages, still half-buried in the trees, hold their positions and it’s eerily quiet for a moment. Then Louis hears it, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the clink of metal on metal. Chains, Louis sees, as a tall, imposing woman steps out of the darkness pulling a man with his wrists bound behind her. 

“Hello, Liam.” The woman smiles as though she’d been expecting a welcoming party. There’s a cruel sharpness to her grin and a whirlwind of chaos in her golden eyes as she looks each wolf over in turn, assessing them. “So good of you to line up all your servants for the arrival of your guests.”

“Yana Sabre,” Liam hisses her name like a curse. “You should leave now, while you still have all your limbs attached.”

Yana throws back her head and laughs, a full, husky sound that would probably be appealing to most men. “Oh, Liam,” she tsks at him. “You had to know that I would return one day. Our treaty was with your father, after all.” She pauses to run her gaze over Liam’s body, a smirk playing on her lips as she toys with her hair in what Louis thinks is meant to be a flirtatious manner. “You certainly look the part of a leader now that you’ve taken his place. When I heard of his death, I simply knew I had to bring my people to give our condolences and welcome your new position. And if we happened to find the opportunity, perhaps we should… renegotiate our treaty.”

“It looks more like you’ve come to break treaty,” Liam replies, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “Your mages have been littering our forest with magic and traps since you set foot back in Bishop’s Hollow three days ago.”

“Just a bit of youthful mischief from some of our younger mages,” Yana dismisses with the wave of a manicured hand. “Nothing meant to cause serious harm. Surely you know that. If I meant to deal pain, you’d still be feeling it. ”

Louis is no longer interested in this woman’s posturing so he tunes her out. If she had the power to take their territory by force, she wouldn’t be stalling. She’s got something more subtle in mind and that means that whatever her plan is, it’s going to take time. Hopefully, it’ll be enough time for Louis to figure out before it’s too late. For now, he’s more interested in the bound man at her side.

The man stands slumped, head down. Louis can’t really see his features, shielded as they are by tangled curls that hang in his face. He wears only a tattered pair of trousers and no shoes on his feet but even without shoes, he’s taller than Louis. He’s thin too, but not without muscle definition. Obviously he’s being fed and worked to keep him in decent physical shape, but Louis can also see scars on his chest and abdomen and a few curling around his upper arms. Louis’ gaze trails over him, down to the manacles on his wrists that lead to the chain Yana holds in one loose fist. Either she knows he won’t run because she’s beaten the idea out of him or she’s baiting him, wanting him to try so that she can yank freedom from his grasp again and probably punish him for the attempt. Louis wouldn’t put either option past her. He wants to yank the chain from her hands and choke her with it. No one deserves to be forced into a life they didn’t ask for. And Louis seriously doubts that the man in those chains asked to bear so many scars.  Louis feels his wolf itching to break free, thirsting for vengeance on the chained man’s behalf.

The rumble of Liam’s growl breaks Louis from his thoughts and his muscles,  already tensed for a fight from the direction his thoughts were heading, coil tighter ready to spring. 

“Whoa there, tiger,” Yana grins loosely. If she’s worried about a fight, she’s not showing it. “I come bearing a peace offering.”

“And the traps you’ve set behind you as you stole onto our land tonight?” Louis asks, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

“What would you have done if you were us? We had to be sure of our safety,” Yana answers, all of her followers nodding along behind her.

“Perhaps if you had asked to visit instead of trespassing in the middle of the night you’d have reason to feel safer.”

“Louis,” Liam warns with a stern look but gives a small nod to let Louis know that he’s right. Liam has always been better at tact when the situation calls for it and Louis doesn’t want to make him look bad so he falls silent, but he hopes the steel-eyed glare he gives their unwanted visitor says everything that his lips aren’t allowed to say. 

“You’re feisty,” Yana tells him with a smirk. “I like that.”

At her side, the chained man lifts his head a little. It’s minute, just enough to peer at Louis through the curtain of his hair, but it’s enough to gain Louis’ attention. The fear aimed at him through that one eye he can see staring gives Louis the impression that being ‘liked’ by Yana is not a good thing. 

“Go home, Yana,” Liam says tiredly. “Come back in the morning, with my blessing, and we can discuss renegotiating the treaty.”

“Of course,” Yana agrees way too easily, spinning to go but turning back a second later. “Oh. Almost forgot to leave my gift,” she says, holding out the chain in her hand. 

“What? A slave?” Louis asks before he can even think to stop himself,  his eyes draw once more to the man in chains. Louis is finding it a little difficult to focus on anything else for longer than a few moments.

“An offering,” Yana corrects, stepping closer to Liam, chain still held out before her. “He was one of mine but his magic is yours now to use as you see fit.”

Liam reaches out to take the chain even though Louis knows he would never keep a slave in their pack. Sometimes refusing a gift is all it takes to start a war though and that’s the last thing Liam would ever willingly do. 

“Don’t touch me!” The man jerks the chain out of Liam’s reach before his hand can close around it but Yana grips it tightly before he can make a run for it. 

“Quiet,  _ occisor _ ,” Yana hisses, yanking him forward with the chain. She smiles and holds it out to Liam again. “Sorry about him.”

Yanking the man forward had put all his hair in his face again but he shakes it out of the way and suddenly Louis can see both eyes staring at him desperately, begging him for something that Louis can’t possibly guess.  Whatever it is, Louis wants to give it to him.  _ Needs  _ to give it to him.

The hopelessness in his eyes sends shivers down Louis’ spine. Something isn’t right. 

Louis assesses the situation as quickly as possible, looking for some clue to tell him why his gut is saying this shouldn’t happen. Beyond the gifting of a person, anyway. The chain looks like a normal chain, no magical glimmer or anything that Louis can detect. The man, while still staring at Louis like his life depends on it, seems otherwise normal. Yana… 

Louis squints, nearly stepping forward in an attempt to confirm what he thinks he’s seeing but then the smell hits his nose and he’s sure of it. There’s blood on the corner of Yana’s mouth and that taints everything about her ‘peace offering’ because somewhere along the way, she’s cast a clandestine spell. 

“I’ll take that,” Louis says, stepping forward and taking the chain from Yana’s hand before Liam can.  A sense of rightness immediately settles into his bones and deep down he can feel his wolf chuff with satisfaction.  “I know just where to put him for the night.”

Yana looks surprised for about half a second before her devious grin falls back into place. “I’m sure you do. Well. I’ll see you tomorrow, Liam. I look forward to it.”

“Of course,” Liam agrees without actually having to agree. “Tomorrow.”

Yana throws Louis one last enigmatic look before disappearing back into the trees, the rest of her cabal following behind her. 

The pack all wait together, watching carefully to make sure that every last mage leaves their territory. 

Groups of volunteers agree to take turns watching the compound in shifts to make sure the danger has passed, allowing Liam and Louis to get some sleep since they’re the ones that will have to deal with Yana tomorrow. 

“So,” Liam says, once everyone else has dispersed. “Hello,” he offers the chained mage Yana left behind. 

The man steps back from Liam. He doesn’t seem skittish, exactly but it’s obvious he wants nothing to do with Liam. 

“You can take care of him?” Liam asks Louis quietly and Louis knows he’s putting this on his second as opposed to taking care of it himself because he doesn’t want to make the man any more uncomfortable rather than a lack of concern for him.  Louis couldn’t say why but he can’t deny that he feels better about being the one to take care of him anyway. 

“Yeah, I got him. Don’t suppose she gave you a key for the chains?”

“No. No key,” Liam shakes his head. “Probably part of some kind of power play or something.”

“Alright. I’ll figure something out.”

“You sure about this?” Liam checks, glancing at the other man before looking pointedly at Louis. 

“Yeah, go get some rest,” Louis urges his Alpha. 

“Be safe, yeah?” Liam squeezes Louis’ shoulder in a gesture of thanks before heading home. 

Louis nods in agreement, watching him go. Liam’s been dealing with a lot since his father’s death, so Louis is happy to do what he can to ease a little of his burden. 

Louis turns to the man waiting by his side quietly. “What are we supposed to do with you?” he asks, not really expecting an answer or anything but he’s also not expecting the man to give a mighty yank on the chain before he takes off running.

“Stop!” Louis yells, chasing after him. He catches up easily, knocking the man to the ground and rolling him over to straddle his waist, pressing his chained hands into the dirt above his head. 

The man drops his head to the ground in defeat, tears spilling from his eyes that make Louis’ heart ache for him. 

“Hey, we’re not gonna hurt you. You’re safe here,” Louis promises softly, letting go of his wrists with one hand to sweep some of the hair off of his face. “What’s your name,  love ?”

Sad green eyes stare up at him filled with so much pain that Louis can’t stand it but he receives no answer.  He wants to give more reassurances, make as many promises as it takes to dry up those tears but he honestly doesn't know what else to say right now. 

He rolls off the man, offering a hand to pull him up. “Let’s get you a bath and a warm bed, okay? Maybe some food if you’re hungry.”

The man takes his hand and allows himself to be lifted. Louis refuses to pull him by the chain, instead, leading him toward his own house with a hand on the small of his back. There are more scars there, too many scars. Louis removes his hand before he can start tracing them with his fingers, counting out how many scars Yana deserves to receive in repayment.  Louis doesn't completely understand the surge of anger that rises up in him. This man is a stranger, but Louis is already invested in his happiness and safety. 

Louis opens the door to his house, letting the man walk in first and he does, waiting for Louis to lead him to a room. 

He leads him to the kitchen first and searches the drawers until he finds something he can pick a lock with, freeing the man’s wrists from his shackles. “There you go,” he says, watching as the chains fall to the floor. 

The man rubs at his own wrists. They’re bruised and dirty and Louis hates to think how long they must have been bound. 

“May I?” Louis asks, holding out his hand towards those ragged wrists. 

The man holds them out, allowing Louis to look at them, run his fingers over them gently, finding out which marks are dirt and which one make up more scars for the tally he shouldn’t be keeping in his head.

“Are you hungry?” Louis  asks, dropping the man’s wrists. There’s nothing he can do about them down here in the kitchen.  “Thirsty?”

Both questions are answered with a shake of the head so Louis leads the man upstairs to the bedrooms.

“You can stay in here,” Louis says, opening the door to a cosy little room right next to his own. There are flowers on the duvet and the walls are a soft purple but it’s the best Louis’ got on short notice. “Sorry about the flowers and stuff. It was my sister’s room before she married into another pack.”

The man moves over to the bed and pets at one of the flowers before looking back at Louis with a little smile. Louis thinks that means he likes it.  His wolf chuffs again, pleased to have gotten a smile, though it seems disgruntled about the distance between rooms. Louis ignores that.

“Do you want a bath? I can get you a towel,” Louis tries, already moving toward the bathroom. When he stops to open the door, the man bumps into his back. “Oh,” Louis breathes surprised by how close he is.  It would be totally inappropriate to wish he’d get closer. Louis tells himself he doesn’t wish that. “You could have waited, I would have brought the towel back to you.”

Another shake of the head that Louis isn’t entirely sure he understands. “Do you not want a bath? I know you’re probably tired but you’ll feel much better after a bath, I promise.”

The man shakes his head again, looking at Louis with that helplessness that he had seen earlier back in his eyes once more.  Louis’ wolf hates that look and Louis can’t say that he disagrees. Frustrated, he’s at a loss. “I’m not sure I understand what you want. Can you just tell me? I know you can speak. You did it outside.”

The man starts gesturing at Louis’ question, pointing toward his throat and then dragging Louis over to the window to point at where the whole confrontation had gone down. Next, he points at the corner of his mouth before pointing out the window again, reminding Louis of the blood he’d seen on Yana’s lip. 

“Yana?” Louis asks, seeing if his thoughts are on the right track and earning an enthusiastic nod in return. “She took your voice? That was the spell she did?”

Another nod. 

“Well, can you write things down?” Louis questions, already turning to look for something for him to write with but a tug on his wrist stops him and he’s dismayed to find the man shaking his head. “Oh. Well, shit.”

Louis isn’t sure what to do now. Apparently, they won’t be talking. The only thing Louis can think to do is just get him washed up and put to bed for now. Maybe they can figure out communication in the morning when there are more people around to offer ideas. 

“Come on,” Louis leads the man back to the bathroom. “At the very least, we should get you cleaned up.”

Louis directs his guest to sit on the closed toilet while he grabs a towel and sits on the side of the bathtub to run some warm water. He looks at the man watching him thoughtfully and something else comes back to him from when they were outside. “Yana called you something outside. Occisor, I think. Is that your name?”

The man flinches at the word and lowers his head, shaking it slowly. Whatever it means, it’s clear that Yana was using it as another means to be cruel. 

“Hey,” Louis says softly, putting his hand on the man’s thigh to gain his attention back.  He hates that he’s caused undue pain. “I won’t call you that, I promise. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

The man gives Louis a sad smile before his eyes light up and he’s yanking at his hair for no apparent reason. 

“Hang on,” Louis laughs. “We’ll get your hair washed in just a minute.”

The man shakes his head, pointing to his chest and poking himself a few times before holding his hair up again. 

“Hair,” Louis guesses slowly. “Your… hair.”

The man nods, making a rolling motion with his hand, telling Louis he’s got another step to go in his thinking. 

“Harry?” Louis guesses again. “Your name is Harry?”

Louis is rewarded with a big joyous smile and more energetic nodding. 

“Well, alright,” Louis laughs, enjoying Harry’s happiness. “Your bath awaits,  _ Harry _ .” Louis gestures toward the bathtub. “Everything you need is on that shelf over there. And I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

Louis tries to leave the room but Harry catches his arm, already shaking his head when Louis turns around to see what he wants. 

“What? I’m not going to bathe you, Harry,” Louis jokes because he doesn’t expect that to be what Harry wants from him.  Also, he’s not a perv or anything but he knows that he’s attracted to Harry and he doesn’t entirely trust his wolf not to take over his instincts.

Instead of showing any trace of humor, Harry taps Louis’ chest and then his own with a sense of urgency. 

“Me… you?” Louis says uncomprehendingly.

Harry nods. 

“Me, you, what?” Louis asks, making Harry sigh in frustration. Louis understands. Their communication issues are starting to get to him too. 

Harry taps Louis’ chest and then his own again, following the movement by grabbing Louis’ hand and lifting their clasped hands to show him. 

“Um,” Louis says staring at their hands. “Are we mage married now or something? Did I agree to marry you when I took that chain instead of Liam?”

Harry’s shoulders slump and he gives Louis a flat look, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Louis sighs with relief. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re gorgeous, but I’m not really the political marriage type.”

Harry seems like he’s choosing to ignore  Louis’ statement and instead grabs him by the shoulders, manhandling him to sit on the toilet and then motioning for him to stay. 

“Okay, fine. I’ll stay,” Louis says, looking away while Harry takes off his trousers and slips into the bathtub. “But I’m seriously not washing you.”

A light touch on his knee has Louis turning towards the tub to see Harry curled up tight with his knees to his chest. He points at his hair with pleading eyes and Louis sighs, standing up to get a comb from the medicine cabinet.  His wolf is preening at being asked to provide even in some small way but Louis refuses to let it show outwardly.

He positions himself as best he can to work the tangles out of Harry’s hair, using conditioner to make it easier. It takes a while, Louis working with soft fingers and rambling through the silence. The only other sounds, the soft splashing of Harry moving a loofa through the water to wash his body. 

“You know, this reminds me of taking care of my sister when we were younger,” Louis says working another knot out of Harry’s hair. “She used to hate brushing her hair because it always got tangled as she slept. So I’d help her work her hair out every morning and she’d sit so still and just let me work. It was the only time she was ever sitting still,” Louis laughs wistfully, remembering her rambunctiousness. “I miss her a lot.”

Harry turns to looks at Louis, a sadness in his eyes and so many questions that Louis’ can’t read. 

“Do you have siblings?” Louis asks, instead of dwelling on the things they can’t say.

If it’s possible, Harry looks even sadder at the question but he shakes his head no and the combination of his answer and his expression makes something in Louis’ stomach drop. 

“ _ Did _ you have siblings?”

Harry nods, holding up a wet hand with one finger raised. 

“A sister?” Louis guesses.

Harry nods again, turning away and scrubbing himself with the loofa, inviting no more questions about it. 

“I’m sorry,” Louis whispers, going back to work. 

After he’s worked the tangles out of Harry’s hair, Louis washes it for him, trying not to get distracted by how pretty he looks with his eyes closed and his head tilted back, neck bared, giving Louis all of his trust. At least, a bared neck is a sign of trust among werewolves. Or a sign of submission. Louis finishes up quickly, moving back to sit on the toilet as Harry finishes in the bath. 

He eyes Harry’s trousers and realises how dirty and torn they are. 

“You can’t put these back on,” he says aloud, pinching the trousers between his thumb and index finger as he stands, already moving toward the door. “I’m just going to go grab you some new clothes.”

He doesn’t get two steps before he hears a sudden splashing sound followed by the high pitched squeal of wet skin slipping on tile and the loud thump of a body hitting the floor. By the time he has spun around to spy Harry laying there, sprawled out on the floor, the other man has wrapped his hand around Louis’ ankle and is glaring up at him and shaking his head vehemently. 

“I’m not sure if you don’t want me to leave or you just have a really strong aversion to clean clothes,” Louis quips before bending down to help Harry up. He reaches for the towel and offers it, averting his eyes while Harry wraps it around his waist. “Seriously, though. Are you alright?”

Without offering an answer and before he can ask any more questions, Harry grips Louis’ shoulders waiting for his full attention before very purposefully tapping Louis’ chest. 

“Ow,” Louis frowns at the force of it. “Not so hard.”

Harry just taps his chest again impatiently. 

“Oh, fine. ‘Me’,” he translates, prompting Harry to tap his own chest next. 

“‘You’.”

Next, Harry points to the floor. 

“Floor?”

Harry shakes his head forcefully, holding Louis’ hand and lifting their clasped hands like he had before, pointing to the floor again.

“Stay? Stay together?” Louis questions, feeling like he’s getting pretty good at this interpreting thing when Harry nods yes. “Why? Do you not want to be alone?”

Harry gives a minute shake of his head before pointing at his throat. 

“Your voice?”

Harry moves over to the window and points outside again. 

“What--,” Louis stares outside willing himself to understand. Harry’s nodding and pointing has taken on a sense of urgency. “Is it… Is it a spell? Like when Yana took your voice?”

Another affirmative answer makes Louis momentarily happy to have guessed but then his blood runs cold when he realises what that answer means. 

“Harry, what happens if we don’t stay together?”

Harry swallows, looking apologetic as he raises a hand and slowly runs a finger across his neck. 

“I die,” Louis whispers, leaning back against the wall as the seriousness of the situation really hits him. “Fuck.”

Harry steps closer but doesn’t invade what little space Louis is allowed. He just stands there holding his towel around his waist and giving Louis sheepish looks every once in a while. He looks ridiculous and adorable… and cold, Louis thinks when he sees Harry shiver.

“Come on,” Louis says, snapping out of his funk. He has more important things to do than dwell on his impending doom. “Let’s get you some clothes.”

Harry lets himself be lead to Louis’ bedroom, still throwing concerned looks his way. He sits on the bed when Louis tells him to and watches as Louis pulls a t-shirt, some joggers, and pants for him out of his dresser. He puts them on when Louis turns his back to give him some privacy, tapping Louis on the shoulder to let him know when he’s dressed. 

“Good,” Louis says when he sees Harry fully dressed. “You warm?”

Harry pinches his thumb and index finger together, indicating ‘a little’ with a tiny grin. 

“Okay, well, we might as well stay in here since we can’t separate.” Louis moves around to one side of the bed, pulling back the duvet. “Wait,” he stops, looking over at Harry who’s watching from the other side of the bed. “You’re not going to kill me in my sleep, right?”

Harry’s eyes go flat in that way that tells Louis he is not amused, but just as quickly, they come back to life, wide and excited. He looks around Louis’ room with a frantic edge to his movements. 

“It was just a bit of morbid humor, Harry. I’d actually prefer not to be killed at all if we can manage it,” Louis explains, watching as Harry flits around his room, never seeming to find what he’s looking for. Louis tries to control his breathing, pushing the anxiety he’s suddenly feeling down as far as he possibly can but he can tell he’s on the verge of shifting.  His wolf is going wild both with the need to know what Harry is doing and the desire to settle him, give him whatever it is that he wants. “You’re making me nervous, Harry. If you don’t settle down, I won’t be able to control my wolf and I don’t know what he’ll do to you.”

That gets Harry to stop running around. He freezes instead, frowning at Louis, studying him for some answer that Louis isn’t sure he has. His eyes drop to Louis’ hands where blood has started dripping to the floor from digging his claws into his palms to try and control himself. Harry walks over slowly and reaches for one bloody hand. 

“I’ll be alright, love,” Louis says, thinking Harry is trying to help him. “It’ll heal fairly quickly.”

What Louis doesn’t expect is for Harry to raise Louis’ claws to his neck, baring his throat to Louis and staring at him as though waiting for him to do something.

“Harry, what--”

Harry pulls insistently on Louis’ wrist, claws right up against his skin.  Louis’ wolf rears back at the implication of what Harry is asking, hurt by the mere suggestion.

“Are you- Are you asking me to kill you?”

Harry nods slowly, pulling Louis’ hand away from his neck just far enough to reach over and rest his own hand on Louis’ heart. He looks at Louis purposefully and places Louis claws back at his throat. 

“Killing you will save me?”

Harry closes his eyes and nods again, waiting for Louis to do it. Spill Harry’s blood and save himself. 

But he can’t. Louis can’t just take a life like that. Especially not one he’s grown sort of attached to in a way that has nothing to do with the magic tethering them together. He pulls his hand back from Harry’s neck.

“No. I won’t.”

Harry opens his eyes, staring at Louis in confusion. He reaches for Louis’ hand again but Louis closes his fist. 

Harry holds out a hand like he’s telling Louis to wait, lifting Louis’ hand and gently prying one finger open. He runs his own fingertip over the claw, drawing a drop of blood and closing his eyes, lips moving soundlessly.

“What are you…?” Louis starts to ask but he’s interrupted by Harry touching his blood-covered finger to Louis’ forehead. “Ew, stop that,” Louis says, making a face and pulling away.

_ Sorry. _ A slow, deep voice filters into Louis’ thoughts.  _ That’s sort of how blood magic works. _

Louis’ mouth falls open. “Harry? Is that you in my head?”

Harry’s body shakes but makes no sound, his eyes gleaming with mirth. 

_ Yep. _

“Can you hear my thoughts too?” Louis asks aloud, though he’s considering whether he should have asked in his head to know for sure.

_ No. Don’t worry. I only made it so you could hear mine so we can communicate.  _ Harry grins, lowering the hand he’s still holding and giving it a soft pat. 

“Great. Do I need to keep the blood on my head for it to work?” Louis makes a grossed out face again and Harry’s shoulders shake with silent laughter.

_ No. It’s just how you initiate the spell. It’ll wear off in a few days on it’s own, no more blood necessary. _

“Okay, good. I’m gonna go wash it off then.” Louis walks past Harry and out of his room to the bathroom, running water into his hands wiping vigorously at his forehead. When he raises his head to look in the mirror, Louis jumps at the sight of Harry staring back just over his shoulder.

_ Sorry. _ Harry winces.

“Right. We have to stay together,” Louis reminds himself, using his sleeve to dry his forehead as he walks back to his room.  He also reminds himself that he’s not supposed to enjoy that idea. “Maybe now you can tell me what kind of spell this is and how we can break it.”

_ It’s called a Lifeleech spell. If you get more than thirty feet away from me, it starts draining the life from you. It’ll stop when you get close again but you can’t get back whatever you lost. It’s meant to be a way for the spellcaster to gain strength while killing their foes. It’s for people willing to kill for power or people like Yana trying to steal it.  _

Louis goes about getting ready for bed as Harry speaks in his mind but he stops when a thought occurs to him. “It was meant for Liam, wasn’t it? Yana was trying to kill him.” 

_ Yes. _

Louis sits on his bed, too lost in his thoughts to remember to put a shirt on. “So, I was dead the second I touched your chains, wasn’t I?”

_ No.  _ Harry’s eyes mirror Louis’ own sadness when Louis peers at him over his shoulder.  _ It didn’t take effect until you touched my skin. I tried to warn Liam and then when you took my chains, it’s why I tried to run. I didn’t want to do this to you. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. _

Louis lays back on his bed, tucking his feet under the covers and then pulling Harry down to join him, cuddling him in. “It’s alright, Harry. I don’t believe you’d ever do something like this on purpose. And at any rate, I’m glad it was me. The pack needs Liam.”

_ They need you too, you know. Where would they be if you hadn’t been there tonight?  _

“You should sleep,” Louis says instead of answering, Harry’s words lighting up some dark place inside him that wants to think his pack would be fine without him. 

He tucks the covers in around them, creating a little cocoon of comfort and Harry allows himself to be cuddled, nestling into Louis’ neck and eventually falling into slumber. 

Louis has a little trouble getting his mind to shut off, too many worries clouding everything, but Harry’s gentle breaths against his neck soon lull him into a deep sleep.

*

Louis wakes early despite the late night. He’s up before the sun most days even though he’s not at all a morning person. But being Liam’s second in command means making sacrifices sometimes.

Unfortunately, it’s going to mean that Harry has to make sacrifices now too.

“Harry,” Louis calls quietly, trying to wake him gently, as he also tries to wriggle his way out from under him. “We have to get up now, love.”

_ Go away. _

“You know, I would but apparently that would kill me, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no to that request,” Louis replies sarcastically. He really isn’t the best version of himself in the morning.

Harry raises a hand only to slap it down on Louis’ chest.  _ Not. Funny. I still feel terrible about that. _

“Sorry, babe, but I’ve got to meet with Liam before Yana shows. Which means you have to get up too.”

Harry huffs in irritation but raises his head from where it was rested over Louis’ heart.  _ Fine. _

They shuffle up from the bed and Louis tosses Harry some new clothes while he gets dressed in his own. He’s not really sure how to go about showering while he’s magically linked to Harry but he’ll figure that out later in the day he supposes.

_ Um, Louis. _

Louis turns around at the sound of Harry’s voice in his head, and can’t help laughing at the picture he sees. 

_ I can’t help it that you’re vertically challenged. _

“Oh shut up,” Louis chuckles, reaching into his dresser again for an oversized pair of joggers. He trades Harry for them, putting his too small jeans back in the dresser. “I can’t help it that you’re a giant.”

_ Nice comeback. _

They banter playfully all the way to Liam’s house where Liam is cooking breakfast. 

“Oi! We’re here,” Louis announces their presence as he walks into Liam’s kitchen. 

“We?” Liam turns at the sound of his voice, smile changing to something more tentative when he sees Harry standing there. “Oh, hello.”

“Liam, this is Harry. Harry, you already know Liam,” Louis introduces them, launching right into explanations to get them out of the way. “Harry was a trap set by Yana to kill you but I fell into the trap instead so now I’m going to die if we get more than thirty feet apart. Also, she did a spell last night to shut him up when he tried to warn you so now he can’t talk but then  _ he _ did a spell so now I can hear his thoughts.” He turns to Harry. “Did I leave anything out?”

“Wait, what?!?” Liam asks, understandably confused. 

So they all sit down and go over everything slowly. 

“Does Harry know how to break the lifeleech spell?” Liam only looks briefly at Harry before returning his gaze to Louis.

“He can hear you, Liam. You can talk to Harry. I’m basically just a translator,” Louis informs him gingerly. 

“Right, sorry,” Liam apologizes, looking directly at Harry. “Do you know how to break the lifeleech spell, Harry?”

Louis listens to his answer but doesn’t relay it to Liam right away. Harry nudges him when it takes too long, so Louis throws a quick glare at him but starts speaking. 

“He says that blood magic is usually tied to the person who casts it. They use their own blood for most of their spells so when their blood stops flowing, it ends the spell. But Yana didn’t use her blood to cast the spell, she used Harry’s. So…,” Louis pauses, glancing at Harry again worriedly, “the spell isn’t tied to her, it’s tied to him.”

“So, we’d have to kill Harry,” Liam concludes slowly, immediately understanding Louis’ hesitation.  Louis was afraid of Liam coming to that conclusion, that’s why he wanted to put off telling him that part.

“But we’re not going to do that,” Louis insists.

“No. Of course not,” Liam agrees but Louis can see the thoughtful way he’s watching Harry now.

_ Lou, if it’ll save you-- _

“I said no!” Louis yells, taking a deep breath as soon as the words are out. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be responsible for that.”

_ You don’t even know me. Why do you care if-- _

“I just do, okay? I don’t  _ know _ why,” Louis’ voice breaks as he cries out and he takes a breath to try and get himself under control, swallowing hard before he can get out any more words.  This whole time he’s been drawn to Harry by some undeniable, unknown force and now he’s having to confront that. “I don’t know why when we only just met and I don’t know how it’s so strong, but I  _ do _ care, Harry. And I can’t let you die for me.” 

_ But I’m supposed to be able to let you die? _

“You don’t even know me. Why do you care?” Louis throws his words back at him with watery eyes and sad shrug. 

Harry takes Louis’ hand, staring into his eyes intently as he steps closer.  _ I know enough. I know that you took me in, no questions asked, and promised me safety when I was an unknown mage thrust into your territory. For all you knew, I could have actually been sent to kill you in your sleep but you still took care of me, you trusted me. I know that you held me while I slept like you wanted to protect me even when you were the one that needed protecting. I think I’ve learned more than enough to be able to care about what happens to you, Louis. _

“So we stick together,” Louis proposes. “We stay close until it dissipates or we work out another way to break the spell.”

_ Okay, we stick together.  _

“Okay,” Louis breathes, feeling drawn to the mage more than ever before. “Somehow I don’t think I’ll mind too much.”

Harry must feel it too because he bends his head, meeting Louis halfway in a soft kiss that only seems to ignite the embers that have been simmering within him. 

Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, pulling his body flush against him as he sucks on his lower lip, licking inside when Harry opens his mouth to him. 

“Okaaay,” Liam says, clearing his throat from across the kitchen counter and breaking the two men apart from each other. They both step back, turning to face Liam and give him their full attention.

“Sorry to interrupt whatever just happened there,” Liam continues watching them shrewdly. “You’re welcome to get back to that later, but we still need to prepare for Yana’s visit today.”

“Right,” Louis agrees, reaching out a hand to grasp at Harry’s hand and finding Harry doing the same. He flushes at the implication that they were reaching for each other at the same time but tries to ignore it. “So, Yana. What are we going to do about her?”

Liam looks at both men, a pensive look on his face. “She broke treaty when she tried to kill me. Either she’ll leave peacefully or she risks a war. And if we have to fight, I think I know a way we can win.”

“What way is that?” 

“Have you ever heard of a prophecy about something called the Duo Corda?” Liam asks, looking between the two of them.

Louis shakes his head, turning to see if Harry knows what Liam is talking about.

_ Duo Corda is latin for ‘two hearts’. I’ve heard of the prophecy he speaks of but…  _ Harry looks at Louis thoughtfully.  _ He can’t mean  _ us, _ can he? _

“I don’t know if he means us, Harry, since I have no idea what either of you are talking about,” Louis quips, feeling a little bitter about being left out. 

_ Soulmates,  _ Harry shares looking at Louis with wide eyes.  _ I think he thinks we’re soulmates. _

“I do mean you two,” Liam confirms. “The Duo Corda prophecy says that a mage of unknown origin, far more powerful than anyone realises, will come into his full power when he meets his soulmate, a werewolf with a withered heart.”

“Oh thanks for that wonderful character assessment, Liam,” Louis says, unable to hold back his snark when he’s so uncertain about what is happening. 

“No, Louis. Listen,” Liam implores, “I think that part is about the spell you’re under. If you and Harry separate, you get sicker and sicker until you die. Your heart literally withers away.”

_ I think he’s right. It… It feels right Louis. It would explain everything we’re feeling and why it’s so much already. _

“But my heart isn’t withered,” Louis disagrees, shaking his head, but in the back of his mind he’s confronting an unpleasant truth. If he and Harry are the soulmates Liam thinks they are and he has to die in order to make Harry powerful enough to take on Yana and save his pack, he’ll do it. Without a single doubt. And no one will be able to stop him from it. 

“Yeah, no, I just wonder if Harry might be able to help us more than Yana imagined when she left him here,” Liam shrugs, though Louis knows he’s trying to brush over the truth that he himself doesn’t want to admit now that he’s seen it. “Now that he’s got you.”

_ She probably expected Liam to kill me after the spell killed you. _

Louis relays Harry’s message to Liam. 

Liam nods, thinking about that. “She could use that to say we broke treaty, saying we framed and killed her peacekeeping gift to get out of renegotiation. I bet that was her plan.”

“Well, good thing we foiled that plan,” Louis says, putting on a fake smile. “So, what do we do if she doesn’t leave peacefully.”

“I’m curious to see what you have in your magical arsenal, Harry,” Liam tells the mage, listening as Louis relays all the spells that Harry knows. 

Together, Harry and Liam plot out an attack plan in case everything goes to shit, which they’re all fairly certain will happen. Meanwhile, Louis sits there, repeating everything Harry says for Liam’s benefit while coming to grips with his own mortality. He’s fairly certain he’s going to die today. 

*

Yana enters the compound with a smirk and swagger that suggests she thinks she’s already won. Her grin falters only slightly when she sees Louis standing behind Liam, but it falls off her face entirely when she sees Harry standing there too.

“You disappoint me, occisor,” Yana sneers at him, every muscle in her body tensing up because she knows her treachery has been revealed.

Louis turns to Harry, reaching for his hand, worried about the effect that word will have on him, but Harry doesn’t flinch this time. He doesn’t seem bothered at all and he squeezes Louis’ fingers and gives him a sideways glance and a little smile to prove he’s not bothered.

_ Killer, that’s what she calls me. That’s what she tried to turn me into, _ Harry states returning his gaze to Yana like he’s making sure she sees that it doesn’t bother him anymore. 

Louis’ had a slow-burn ache in his heart all morning, ever since he learned of Liam’s soulmate prophecy, but hearing Harry say that and knowing that it might come to pass anyway hurts Louis more than anything else ever has. He grasps Harry’s hand tighter, refusing to let the pain in his heart show on his face. 

“I think you know there will be no renegotiating, Yana,” Liam says calmly, his entire pack behind him to back him up. 

Yana grins. “I think you know we won’t be leaving peacefully, Liam,” she replies, her entire cabal stepping up behind her, teenagers and children in the very back still in the woods but just as easy to endanger when wolves are around. Her grins turns wicked when she sees the faces of the pack as they notice the children. “I don’t play fair, either.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Liam answers with a sly grin of his own, before yelling for the shadow team to set the boundary line aflame, activating the shield Harry put in place between the forest and the compound. In one fell swoop, the children of Yana’s cabal are out of the line of fire. “I figured we could fight fire with fire, just this once.”

“You want fire, I’ll give you fire,” Yana promises, clutching a small amulet around her neck. It looks like a dark red ruby but Louis would bet anything that it’s actually a vial of blood. _ “Ignis,”  _ she says, holding out a hand that fills with flame. 

_ Aqua. _ Louis hears in his mind and as he watches, Yana’s flame is doused. Turning, he sees Harry pulling a pin from his fingertip. He sort of wishes Harry had some kind of amulet too, so that he wouldn’t have to hurt himself to cast spells but Yana probably stole the blood she’s using and he doesn’t even want to think about what she did to get it. He knows that Harry would never do such a thing. 

Yana looks outraged for a split second before stretching out herand hand toward Harry. “Clever, occisor. But let’s see how you deal with this… debilito.”

Louis hears the sounds of Harry in pain in his head and he reaches for him immediately but Harry crumples in his arms, too weak and hurt to stand.

“No,” Louis cries, falling with him, holding him close. “Harry, what can I do? Please tell me what to do.” The horrifying sounds of Harry’s pain don’t subside and Louis can’t just sit here and listen, can’t stand seeing Harry put through this. 

It hits Louis quite suddenly that he knows exactly what he has to do. To save Harry, to give him strength, Louis has to walk away from him. 

He has to sacrifice himself. 

Louis bends his head, pressing one last kiss to Harry’s lips. He only wishes that he’d had more of them.

“Goodbye, my heart,” Louis whispers, certain that Harry won’t hear him through whatever torment he’s going through. “Maybe I’ll find you again one day.”

Ignoring the tears falling down his cheeks, Louis lays Harry down on the ground and stands, turning away from him.

The whole compound has erupted into chaos and there are spells and werewolves flying every which way all around him. Maybe fifty yards away, Yana is clutching her amulet and casting another spell. If he’s lucky, maybe he’ll get close enough to rip out her heart before his own withers away. 

Shifting into his full wolf form, Louis crouches down, a low growl rumbling through his chest as he stares down his prey. And then, he runs at full speed toward the woman who gave him the world and took it away again in less than twenty-four hours. 

Yana turns when Louis roars his battle cry, leaping at her with his claws extended. 

_ Louis, NO!  _

Harry’s voice flares to life in his head, making Louis’ heart soar in happiness just before it gives out. He lands on Yana, claws tearing into her throat, body knocking her last breath from her lungs. Her eyes go wide before the life drains out of them and Louis can die happy knowing that he’s taking her with him. She’ll never hurt Harry or his pack again. 

“Louis,” Harry’s voice calls out to him and he can feel his body being lifted off Yana’s. He’s shifted back into his human form, no longer strong enough to hold the shape of his wolf. “Baby, what have you done?”

_ I saved you _ , he thinks, wishing that Harry could hear his thoughts just this once, could know how much he already loves him. 

He dies with a smile on his face. 

*

Epilogue

“Louis,” a lovely voice whispers his name. Perhaps angels really do exist. Louis has always been skeptical, but  _ that voice. _ It sounds like an angel.

“Baby, wake up,” the voice calls again. 

Louis blinks his eyes open, going slowly because the light is a little too bright for him. 

“Hey, there,” another voice says, as two faces fill his vision. 

“Harry? Liam?” Louis rasps, confused about where he is and why they’re with him. “Did you die too?”

“Nobody died, love,” Harry says, brushing Louis’ hair off his forehead delicately. “You got very, very weak, lending me your strength to break the ‘debilitating’ spell that Yana had cast, but you didn’t die. I would never allow it.”

“I wasn’t aware you had a choice,” Louis answers sarcastically. He really isn’t good when he first wakes up at any time of day. 

Harry chuckles at his grumpy answer. “We’re Duo Corda, baby,” Harry says with a cute, cocky grin. “ From the moment we met, you became my life. Killing you would kill me and apparently, even a lifeleech spell can’t compete with that.”

“Cheesy,” Louis jeers, reaching for one of Harry’s hands and placing it over his heart to signify that he’s only joking. “What happened with the blood mages and the pack? Is everyone else okay?”

“Yeah,” Liam assures him, “after you killed Yana, the mages stopped fighting. Apparently, she’d had her own cabal under a spell. They all surrendered.”

“And they asked me to take my rightful place as their leader,” Harry adds sheepishly. 

“Your rightful place?” Louis asks. “What am I missing?”

“My mother used to be leader of the bloodmages. Yana killed her and my sister and took me prisoner. “

“Why am I only just hearing about this?” Louis wonders, watching Harry sadly. 

Harry shrugs, looking down at his hand on Louis’ chest. “It seemed like a lot to get into when we couldn’t really communicate properly. I was waiting until we could actually speak to each other like normal people.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Louis says. “I’m sorry you lost them but I’m glad you got back the rest of your people.”

“Me too,” Harry agrees. “I didn’t know they were under her spell. I had thought the worst of them.”

Louis takes a breath, preparing to ask a question he doesn’t want to ask. “So, does that mean you’re leaving the pack?”

“Are you inviting me to stay?” Harry asks with a playful smirk. 

Louis scoffs, “I  _ thought _ we already had.”

“Well, I was thinking… we still need to renegotiate that peace treaty. What if we sort of did the royal thing and joined our families?” Harry asks, scratching at the back of his neck with his free hand like maybe he’s nervous. 

“Harry, are you proposing to me?” Louis squawks, looking around at the white room he’s in and the machines he’s hooked up to. “While I’m in hospital??”

“I mean, I was thinking of like a bonding ceremony first. Maybe in the Spring?” Harry shrugs, doing a cute little nose scrunch that makes Louis want to kiss him.

“Come here, you,” he says, yanking Harry in by the front of his shirt. 

Their lips meet softly, but they quickly melt into each other, making Liam highly uncomfortable.

“If this is what I have to look forward to, I disapprove,” Liam groans, leaving them to their makeout session. 

“Is that a yes?” Harry asks against Louis’ lips.

“You bet it is.”

  
  
Maybe they can't explain what they have or how it all happened so fast, but they know what they feel. It's strong enough to contend with the blackest magic and powerful enough to see through the darkest illusions. They are _Duo Corda_. Soulmates. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!  
Please let me know if there are any tags that I left off!
> 
> Here's the [fic post](https://fallinglikethis.tumblr.com/post/189289750814/the-truth-i-cant-explain-smoke-and-mirrors) if you'd like to reblog!


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